


Put Some Clothes On

by willneverbeordinary



Category: Rhett & Link
Genre: Angst, Dry Humping, Heteronormativity, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Play Wrestling, heteronormative ideals but homoerotic desires, which could have been an alternative title
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-12
Updated: 2019-02-12
Packaged: 2019-10-26 15:17:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,533
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17748323
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/willneverbeordinary/pseuds/willneverbeordinary
Summary: Rhett and Link are off to the same college in the fall - they're even going to be dorm roommates - but they still spend almost all their free time together in the summer of '96.Link never has his t-shirt on and one day after a swim in Cape Fear River, Rhett finds that apparently Link can do without any clothes at all. Rhett, however, isn't so sure he can deal with Link's newest state of undress.





	Put Some Clothes On

They had swam across Cape Fear river and are back at the spot where they first went in. Rhett is tugging his wet tennis shoes off. Link sprawls out flat on his back next to Rhett and Rhett turns away, shielding his eyes.

“Come on, man. Put your shorts back on. No one wants to see that.”

“Ain't no one here,” Link responds, lazily stretching out.

Rhett glances over again and turns away with an annoyed grunt. “I’m here.”

“What do you care? You've seen me naked plenty of times before.”

“Yeah, but–”

“Just don't look if it bothers you.”

“It doesn't bother me–” He catches a glimpse of Link's grin before turning his head again, pointedly looking away.

“Then what do you care,” Link says again.

Rhett kicks him in the thigh.

“Ouch! Why you gotta kick me!”

Link has sat up. Rhett can see him from the corner of his eye.

“We're off to college in a month. Act like it,” Rhett says.

“I am. I'm just savoring the last bit of freedom.”

“It doesn't have to be _that_ free.” He glances over again and quickly looks away.

Link laughs. “Why not? I'm a healthy, young man, out in nature in my natural state. Ain't nothing wrong with that.”

Rhett scoffs. He picks at the grass. “You're not free, anyway. You still have your girlfriend.”

“So?”

Rhett glances over again. Doesn't look away as quickly this time. “You should break up with her. Don't you want the full college experience?”

Link rolls his eyes. “I ain't breaking up with her just because you're single and jealous.”

“I'm not jealous of her.”

“Of her– what?”

Rhett blushes. His face goes uncomfortably warm. He kicks Link again, and Link gives him a hard punch to the arm.

“I didn’t– no– not _of_ her– I just– you’re working with _that_ , no one need to be jealous–” Rhett fumbles, gesturing.

Link’s hands hover over his crotch and he glares at Rhett. “It’s nothin’ wrong with it, why are you saying that, what, you think it’s ugly or sumthin’?”

Rhett shrugs. “Don’t have an opinion.”

“It’s bigger when it’s hard.”

“Not much, though, right? I mean–”

“What? No, I don’t know what you mean– what’s wrong with you, man.” Link snatches his still wet shorts from the ground and struggles to put them on.

Rhett’s face is still warm. He ducks his head. Pulls a few blades of grass from the ground. “I just– I just– you know, grower or shower n’ all that?”

Link pulls his pants up with a grunt. “So which one are you?”

“I, uh– I’m–”

“Whatever.” Link mutters as he lies back down.

Rhett looks at him. The uncomfortable heat drumming in Rhett’s belly has subsided but the sort of twisting cold that has replaced it isn’t any better.  He takes a breath.

Slow.

_In._

_Out._

He gets to his feet and tugs his basketball shorts down and off. There are a million and one thoughts that lead to him making that decision, but when Link asks him why the hell he is getting undressed, Rhett says he doesn’t know.

“Just felt like it, what, you’re the only one who can be wild and free?” Rhett lays his shorts out to dry in the sun.

Link rolls his eyes at him. “After you were such a jerk? Yeah, I think you should put your clothes back on.”

“Why.” Rhett tilts his chin up. Stares Link down.

Link frowns at him. “Because that’s distracting.”

“I feel good about my decision.” Rhett lies down gingerly, dry twigs and pebbles poking his back.

The ground is warm and uncomfortably rough. Rhett’s back is already protesting. He tries to listen to the sound of the river instead of the obnoxiously loud beating if his own heart. Link is lying right next to him. The heat of his body is masked by the warmth of the day but Rhett’s skin still tingles with the proximity.

“Ya know. I should tell ya yours is all bent and ugly.”

Rhett just hums. Squeezes his eyes shut a little harder and presses his arms down against the ground instead of rushing to shield himself.

“But?” he says, when Link hasn’t spoken for a good half minute.

“But,” Link says, slowly, “it isn’t, I guess. You know? Dunno what– what a girl would say but– I think you’re good there, brother.”

Rhett grins. Wide. Way too smug. “I know. And you haven't even seen it hard.”

He just laughs when Link slaps him on the stomach.

“It's not exactly soft now, is it,” Link shoots back, as if he's delivering an insult. One day he might get the hang of it.

Rhett gives a small, hushed laugh. Adrenaline runs through his veins like something electric and he squirms against the ground. “No. It's happy to be free.”

“Seriously?” Link flicks his arm and Rhett laughs softly again.

He cracks an eye open and glances at Link.

“No girl's gonna marry ya, good looking dick or not. Your personality leaves a lot to be desired.”

Rhett is quiet for a moment. He curls his fingers against the scorched earth and closes his eyes again against the bright sunlight.

“Might not get married,” he says slowly.

“Yeah, you will.”

“Might live wild and free. Out on the country roads. Sing and dance and have a good ol’ time.”

“Okay, cowboy.”

The sun is starting to burn Rhett’s skin. He shifts a little where he lies, but doesn’t cover up just yet.

“So, what, you’re just gonna live in sin?” Link asks after a few minutes.

“Sure. Yeah.”

The river keeps rushing, the air is still and humid. Rhett breathes deep breaths.

“You don’t mean that.”

Rhett sits up. He pulls his knees up and wraps his arms around them. “No, I guess not.”

“It wouldn’t be right. You know? Marriage is–”

“Sacred, yeah, yeah, I know. I wasn’t– I’m not– I just like to think about it, sometimes. You know? What if we didn’t go to college? What if we didn’t– what if we just took off? You and me, just, free, just, out there, having a good time.”

Link tilts his head and looks at Rhett. Blue eyes searching. Rhett meets his gaze for a few heartbeats before he looks away, looks at the cracked and dried up dirt between his feet.

“I guess– I guess if I’d risk eternal damnation for someone–” Link says, slowly.

Rhett looks up. He has stopped breathing. “For me? Us? I mean, I mean, a wild, free life, all the chicks and booze and all that– not like– like, _us_ , you and me– I don't–”

Link shrugs. Gives Rhett a crooked smile. “Sure, why not?”

Rhett grins. He throws his arm around Link’s neck, pulls him in, and gives him a nuggie. Link yells, hits Rhett's shoulder, and tries to struggle free. Rhett laughs and lets him up.

Link shoves him. “Screw you.”

Still chuckling, Rhett wipes his sweaty palms on the dried grass, getting them more dirty than dry. “Come on, man, don't be like that.”

“I’m not– you're– that was a nice moment, why you have to ruin it?”

“I didn't ruin anything, you're being upright.”

“Well. I just don't want you to grab me like that.”

“No? How 'bout like this?” Rhett half lunges at Link and gets his arms around Link's torso. “Greco-roman style!”

Link grabs him back, arms around Rhett's shoulders, and twists unexpectedly and suddenly Rhett is flat on his back. He blinks. He was already sweating from the sun beating down, but it prickles in his armpits and his hands go damp and he swallows hard. Link is lying on top of him. Link is lying on top of him and Rhett is naked.

“Link,” Rhett croaks and Link just beams at him.

“Hah! I won!” Link grabs Rhett's arms, pushes them up above Rhett's head.

Rhett just lies there and lets him. He blinks again. Watches a droplet of sweat trickle down Link's temple.

“Are you gonna be a sore loser? You almost always win, can't you you–”

Rhett snaps his gaze to Link's eyes. Link is looking down at him with a frown. He shifts, straddles Rhett's hips instead of lying sprawled out, and Rhett's breath catches.

“Say I win.” Link leans a bit more weight against Rhett's arms.

Instead of replying, Rhett arches is back. Just a little. Just lifting his shoulders barely off the ground, just to see how easily he could throw Link off.

He could.

He doesn't.

But he arches up again. Because when he does, Link pushes down harder. His voice goes a bit lower as he repeats 'say I win’. Rhett draws a shaky breath through slightly parted lips. He stares up at Link, not saying anything.

“Come on, now, tell me I win.”

Rhett licks his bottom lip and bites it for a second. Then he shakes his head, a slow tilt from side to side, as he grins at Link.

“Nope. I'm just lettin’ you win, you wouldn't beat me.”

“What? I got you on your back.”

Rhett plants his naked feet against the dry ground, and thrust his pelvis up, almost throwing Link off, but catching him around the waist. Rhett wraps his arms around him and holds on.

“See, I can throw you off whenever I want,” he says against Link's hair once Link has shuffled backwards and is again lying on top of him.

Link grunts. He sits up and Rhett lets his hands fall down to Link's hips. He rubs small circles just above the waistband of Link's shorts. Slowly, Link wraps his fingers around Rhett's wrists and once again pushes Rhett's arms up above his head.

“Tell me I've won.”

Rhett's heart flutters. It begins to beat a little faster as he smiles up at Link. “Make me.”

“Yeah?” Link leans a bit more of his weight against Rhett's arms and Rhett grunts. “How you figure Imma do that?”

“If I can't throw ya off, you win.” Rhett's heart is hammering, but he looks Link steadily in the eye.

Link gives a nod. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

Rhett tries to moves his arms but Link bears down and Rhett can't budge him. Something flutters in the pit of his stomach as he tries again to break free and can't.

He catches Link grinning at him.

Like before, Rhett tries to gets his feet against the ground to throw Link off, but this time Link notices and shifts quickly to sit on Rhett's thighs instead of his belly. The weight against Rhett's arms almost disappears with that move, though, and he yanks and manages to wrench free. Link instantly throws himself forward and tries to catch Rhett's wrists. He succeeds, but Rhett breaks his hold and wraps his arms tightly around Link's torso. Link lets out a frustrated cry and struggles against Rhett's hold. Rhett squeezes his eyes shut and grits his teeth as Link squirms against him. His breathing is coming in almost gasps and he and he tilts his hips at the way Link moves against him and bites back a noise that's too heated for a wrestling match between two friends.

Link shifts and moves and tries to find leverage with his hands against the ground to push himself free and Rhett takes his chance to get his legs free and wraps them around Link's hips. Link makes an almost surprised sounding, little noise. A low sound escapes Rhett and he moves against Link again. He drops his head back, lips parting around a quiet moan, as Link presses his lower body against him. Rhett makes another noise and tightens his hold.

Link stops moving. He's panting hard against Rhett's chest.

“Rhett.”

Rhett doesn't respond. His mind feels as sluggish as the slow, hot air around them. Link's heart thuds against Rhett's body and his own heart is racing. He shifts his hips minutely and his cock presses against the fabric of Link's shorts, against _Link._ There's only that thin layer between them. With a shaky exhale, Rhett sinks back against the ground. His head is throbbing. Dizzy. Overheated. He tries to take a slow breath, in and out.

“Rhett.”

This time, he responds.

“You're not trying to get me off.”

Rhett's mouth is much quicker than his brain when he says “Oh, I am trying to get you off, baby.”

He freezes. But then he feels and hears Link laugh softly.

“At least buy me dinner first,” Link says. He sits up and Rhett lets his arms slide down, hands coming to rest on Link's lower back. He uncurls his legs from Link, who settles in-between them.

Rhett bites his tongue against any 'I already have’ or ‘I will, just say when'. Link smiles at him and begins to move away and Rhett holds on tighter.

“Time to let go, Rhett.”

Rhett's fingers twitch. His hands are sweaty and Link's skin is slick from their tousle and the hot day. He tightens his hold.

“Yeah, I know. It feels kinda good, doesn't it? ”Link presses a little closer. He leans down.

The second the naked skin of Link's belly touches Rhett's dick, Rhett shoves him and Link topples over with a laugh. Rhett snatches his shorts and puts them back on, followed by his shoes and lastly he pulls his t-shirt on. When he looks over at Link, he has just finished lacing up his shoes. He's still naked from the waist up. He didn't bring his tee. Rhett's cheeks burn a little and he looks away quickly.

“Let's go,” Rhett says and Link nods quietly at him.

They make their way back to Link's Nissan pickup truck. Rhett buckles into the passenger seat. Link turns on the stereo and starts singing along as he drives. Rhett watches him. How the sun hits his face, how he smiles when he sings. His hands on the steering wheel. Shirtless arms tan from hours and hours outdoors in the sun.

When Link glances over at him, Rhett quickly looks away. Spends the rest of the trip back home looking out the window and thinking. In some other universe, they don't drive home, they drive far away and leave everything and everyone expect each other behind. In some other universe, Rhett tells his dad to fuck off and he and Link does go to film school.

In some universe, they don't marry young, or maybe not at all. Or maybe, if the planets aligned just right, and the stars were in position, and Rhett dared to explore how he really feels about his best friend and told Link, Link might even feel the same. And he gets to marry Link.

The car comes to a stop on Rhett's parents’ driveway. He unbuckles but doesn't get out. Looks over at Link. In one of Rhett's universes, their first kiss was back on the banks of Cape Fear. In some universe, it's right there, in the car. In the universe they live in, it's neither. Rhett doesn't even say goodbye, they never do. He just jumps out of the car and walks away, not looking back.


End file.
